PLANO — The face of homelessness in the suburbs isn’t what usually comes to mind: a lone man in dirty clothes pushing his belongings in a grocery cart.

More often it’s people like Roger Grant, a dad who in 2011 left behind a six-figure salary in California to be with his family in Texas.

But then his marriage fell apart, his mother died and the only work he could find was low-paying contract jobs. By 2013, he and his daughter, then in elementary school, had no place to live and relied on a network of friends.

“The face of homelessness is this one right here,” Grant, 45, said. “It was humbling. ... The worst thing I lost was my driver’s license in Texas. Without an address in Texas and a license, you’ve got problems.”

Advocates say Grant’s experiences echo so many others seen across Collin County — families living out of storage units, young teens couch-surfing among friends, 24 people sharing a two-bedroom apartment.

Grant and those who work with the Collin County Homeless Coalition discussed the growing issue at a recent Collin County forum as part of National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week.

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In the last year, Collin County — like many other suburban areas across the country — has seen a rise in homelessness despite it being one of the most affluent areas of Texas, they said.

It’s hard to get an accurate count on how many people are homeless because many are difficult to find, out of public view.

“They aren’t the ones we count every January because we don’t see them,” said Pamela Gaiter, a sociology professor at Collin College. “What we don’t see becomes our reality.”

Each year volunteers across North Texas do a census-like count in January, but those numbers can be influenced by factors like the weather and even what time of day volunteers reach a site. This year they counted 367 people staying under bridges, in cars and at shelters, hotels and other temporary housing in Collin County. That was down slightly from the year before, when the count was 380.

But agencies and churches that offer help are seeing an increase in need. For example, the Samaritan Inn, Collin County’s largest homeless provider, had to turn away 3,569 people in 2014 because of limited space. That was up from 2,677 the year before.

“I promise you that our caseworkers have a tear in their eye because they actually look the people in the face,” said Cara Mendelsohn, a spokeswoman for the Samaritan Inn. “The mom walks out with two kids this way and one in the stroller, and they know they are going back to their car.”

To help meet that growing need, the agency is building a larger shelter with 50 units to serve families.

Advocates talked about how they work with police, school districts, city officials and others to recognize those who need help and connect them to the appropriate resources.

A majority of the homeless in Collin County have jobs but still can’t afford housing, according to the Collin County Homeless Coalition. Then there are many who are struggling with unemployment, domestic violence and family issues.

The 2013 book Confronting Suburban Poverty in America by researchers from the Brookings Institution noted that between 2000 and 2011, poverty grew at the fastest rate in the suburbs, largely because of population growth, changes in affordable housing, new immigration patterns, employment shifts and the prevalence of low-wage jobs.

And because they are away from a city center with public transportation, the poor in suburbs are more isolated from jobs and social services that can help.

Those researchers found that the poor population in suburban areas of Dallas-Fort Worth grew 115 percent from 2000 to 2012, among the largest increases in the nation.

Grant is thankful that he got help from Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco and Family Promise of Collin County, a faith-based group serving families.

They provided hotel rooms and even sleeping arrangements at local churches until he and his daughter moved into a place of their own. Now he’s rebuilding his career after launching a financial services business.

Christine Ortega, community outreach director at Preston Trail, said churches like hers do what they can to help.

“The role of a faith community can be like a first responder at times,” Ortega said. “We’re seeing the need. We’re seeing the crisis, and we’re trying to answer the call.”

How to help

THE SAMARITAN INN: Collin County’s only comprehensive shelter offers various programs to help families get back on their feet. thesamaritaninn.org

FAMILY PROMISE OF COLLIN COUNTY: A group that brings together local churches to help provide for those in need, including aid for housing and car assistance. familypromiseofcollincounty.org